northern tree moss

Climacium dendroides is a moss species in the family Climaciaceae, part of the order Hypnales and class Bryopsida. It is commonly referred to as northern tree moss due to its distinctive tree-like structure. The species name 'dendroides' refers to its tree-like morphology, while the genus name is derived from the structure of the peristome teeth. It is distributed across regions such as Labrador, Québec, TW, Flanders, SE, Vermont-US, NO, DK, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, Flemish Region, and Walloon Region. The moss typically has stems 2-10 cm tall, growing in patches resembling small palm-trees. Its leaves are 2.5-3 mm long, with stem leaves being rounder and branch leaves more pointed. Sporophytes are most abundant in late winter and early spring, appearing as red-brown shoots with long stalks and cylindrical capsules.